Even if I can't remember any personal information regarding my previous life, my memories of anything other were on the other hand rather pretty good. And I was very grateful for that, especially the last few days.

You see, a few days ago I was helping Edward work on a model of this world, he let a few interesting information slip. All somewhat connected to my grandpa.

It was like my life was slowly turning into a mystery novel. I mean, grandpa shrouded in secrets, island that shouldn't exist and how Edward was acting more strange and strange.

I tried to talk to him about that theme, but he would either change the subject or flat out ignore me. Hell, he even once threw me out of the lab.

Something serious was going on. And I had no idea what to do about it. Curiosity was killing me, but it couldn't do much about it. I tried to ask as much as people as possible, but they were as clueless as me. And when I asked the people who might have knew my grandpa, which were mostly really old people, they weren't much of help.

I even tried to ask my parents. Sadly, they weren't also of much help. My dad claimed that grandpa was a rather reserved person and didn't open much to anyone. My mom only met him once, so she also didn't know much.

Curious enough, it seemed that Alfred of all people knew about him more than anyone else. But, he only gave short answers like how he was a man with a vision, how he had those big plans.

You know, a few days ago I would somewhat admire that, but right now the more I would hear and even think about such stuff, it would make me feel ... not pleasant. For whatever reason.

I decided to ignore that for now, till I at least get rid of the other stuff.

Anyway, I tried to see if I could find anything regarding him in the library, both the city and out. As expected, no luck.

It was almost as he wanted nobody to finding out who he was. But, if that was so, then why didn't he also hide or destroy the plans Edward had?

All that mystery gave me just headaches, so I decided for the time being focus on other stuff.

Something which I can use my previous memories in good use, even if there might be a chance stuff has changed.

I took any newspaper I could find and would read all articles related to pirates and marines, trying to see just how stuff has changed.

So far, it seemed like nothing has changed. The only major info was that Shanks is acknowledged as an Emperor 1 month ago.

Meaning I only have 4 years before canon starts if we take in fact that he is 6 years an Emperor after the Time-skip.

Enough time to see what I will do with my life and find out what is with this island.

But that could wait till I seen what I will do in the future.

You see, I came to a realization after some time of thinking.

Time is passing, and it is changing people. Making the grow old, more wise.

I was no exception.

At first I thought I could be safe if I stayed on Gotham and had the villains on my side.

However, the Butterfly effect had other plans.

You see, since they didn't experience any of the events that turned them into said villains, they remained to be the ordinary people. Something which, for whatever reason, didn't settle good with me.

As much as I like Arthur being the joke telling father of my best friend who I was seeing less and less, I would have seriously preferred that he turned into the Joker.

Except, you know, not wanting to kill me.

... I guess I kind of aimed a little to high with the last one.

The only protection I had is that Gotham was hard to find and superior technology, but even that isn't 100% sure.

And that was what made me realize something:

If I wanted to survive in this world, there were only three real ways I could do it.

Either ally myself with either the Marines or a Emperor or grow high in strength by myself.

Now, the first opinion was a big no for my taste.

As much as I loved being alive, there was no way I would join them.

Sure, some of them were rather good people (Garp), but I was never a fan of the good guys, no matter in which form they came.

Not sure why is that, but I just liked villains much more than any hero.

The third opinion is also no. I know how strong the people of this world can be, and there is no way I can close that gap even I started to train now.

My case isn't something like Kazuma in a comedy world or Subaru with his Return by Death or even Momonga where he is basically a God. Albeit, without the possibility to bone.

That would only leave me with the second opinion: to ally or join an Emperor.

Now, that actually did sound good, depending on which I wanted to join.

Whitebeard was a 100% no. We all know what happens to him at the war with the Marines. And I think that no matter how much I tried to change that, he would die and Blackbeard would try to take over. Plus, unlike many people, I didn't give one rats ass about Ace's death so I don't see a reason why I risk my life and risk my secret being found out for him.

Said Blackbeard was also a no. Sure, he is a good villain, but I shill don't know how he operated with his crew after becoming an Emperor. Also, he is the main antagonist of Luffy, so you know he will be taken down.

Shanks is a similar case like Blackbeard. I just didn't know how he operated his crew. I know he is a good guy and somewhat of an party animal, but that is it. Plus, there is also his whole secret meeting with the Gorosei, which was already minus points from someone who would rather watch the whole World Government sharing the same fate as a certain time skipping mafia boss.

Next was Big Mom. Now, she was somewhat in between. The only positive things about an alliance with here I could think of were the strong connection with the Underworld and Black Market I could get and possible chance of a marriage with one of her hot daughters, and that was a somewhat of a gamble.

Not sure was the last part my lower or higher head talking.

Now, the last one would be Kaido. And I can say that i'm damn thankful I died after I could see how he worked on his crew.

From what I know, he is a rather reasonable boss when he isn't drunk. Also, from what I understood, he allied himself with Orochi so he could have weapons for the upcoming war, whatever its name was.

Now, while Wano can produce Seastone and has more warriors, its still something Gotham can match, but not with the mentioned stuff.

If all the projects of grandpa were just like the Nemesis, then I would be in advantage in weapons. Plus, if i'm able to somehow rebuild stuff from my world like some vehicles or weapons, I would be in a bigger advantage.

Hell, I could even go as a arms dealer.

Note to self: keep the idea of arms dealer as a Plan B if an alliance doesn't work.

Also, the Beast Pirates seemed like there wasn't many strategists. Well, there are Queen and King. But how much would Kaido think of someone who has ton of hours of reading both old military tactics and playing many strategy based games?

The thing about the Beast Pirates is that only some Headliners, the Tobi Roppo, Calamities (except Jack, maybe) and sometimes Kaido himself are reasonable and you could work with.

I don't know what other people would do in my situation, but for the first time in a long time I was sure about my future plans.

Plan A: Try to join Kaido in an alliance and work my way up in the ranks.

Plan B: Try the arms dealer business.

For now, I think my brain can't handle more planning for a day. I'm hitting the hay.

- 5 months later, Vince's P.O.V -

I might have said this many times before and I will say it again: some sort of Higher Deity, probably the same one that sent me here, was clearly enjoying messing with me.

You see, after the whole hiding stuff about my grandpa from me, I was about to forget about it all for the time being seeing as I didn't manage to find anything related to him or why people were hiding stuff about him.

But then, just the day after my 12th birthday, things have returned to normal, before I even asked about my grandpa. But, I could still see that there was something not right.

I was not sure was that paranoia or something else, but the feeling that something still wasn't right was still there.

Not only did Edward started behave like his usual self (let me tell you, he might look like an actor, but he sure as hell wasn't one), but I also had the feeling like Alfred was doing some things behind my back.

Not only did I start to notice that there were some new books in the family library, but I also once saw Alfred sneaking around the house one night. I know he didn't have any malicious intent, but it was still suspicious.

I probably would have followed him cuz I was around 99% sure that Alfred wouldn't harm me, but my weak bladder had other plans.

After that night, I began to look through the books that appeared in the library, which I had a feeling Alfred was the one who put them there and was the reason why he was sneaking around.

The books in question were rather old with not even a letter about who wrote them, with each book having a completely different subject.

Luckily, lately I had much free time and used said free time to look through the books. And boy, was I happy I did that.

Those books were in one word: a masterpiece.

You could see that whoever wrote them put much effort into making them as detailed as possible and yet still make sure it was easy for the reader to understand.

Now, I admit i'm not the smartest and like all people have trouble in some subjects, but as I read through said books I was at least able to understand what the writer was trying to say to the readers.

Not only that, but they were sure somewhat addicting to read. Plus, they helped me patch up some memory blanks I gained over those 12 years.

Right now I was reading a book written about Devil Fruits. As expected, there wasn't written anything about the origin on them, but that wasn't what caught my attention.

Sure, the book had more illustrated fruits and there was a lot more notes on what said Fruits can do and how they can be used, but it wasn't the context of the book that caught my attention.

It was actually something regarding me. Or to be more precise, regarding my way of thinking.

I first noticed it when I read about a a Devil Fruit which had the powers to manipulate winds, which I supposed was the Devil Fruit of Dragon.

Now, as I read the page regarding said fruit and seeing how it can be used, the first thing that came to my mind was: would I be able to perform Wamuu's Divine Sandstorm?

At first, that doesn't seem to be something that would catch someones attention, trying to imitate the move of a Aztec God of Fitness, but the stuff I thought after that was what caught my attention.

As I tried to think of other ways how the Fruit can be used, only other wind users and how they used their powers came to my mind and nothing else. I would sometimes get headaches if I tried to hard. I at first found it strange and still do, but decided to simply roll with it, pushing that at the side for the time being.

As I was about to turn to the next page, I would be lying if I say I wasn't surprised what happened next.

"Enjoying your reading session, Master Vince?"

I would also be lying if said I didn't scream in a rather high pitch tone.

Turning around, I see Alfred just entering the library and making his way to the couch I was sitting in. Calming down, I answered while still keeping eyes on the butler.

Don't get me wrong, I trusted Alfred the most of any person, but I still had this tiny doubt in me regarding the events of the last few days.

"Yes. Was thinking of maybe reading about one or two more before putting it away."

Alfred nodded his head as he looked over my shoulder at the next Devil Fruit in the book, which appeared to be some Zoan. There was a moment of silence before Alfred spoke.

"I take it you aren't interested anymore in finding anything about your grandfather?"

I tried to keep calm about it, so I simply gave him as a side-look.

"I'm still curious about him, but right now he isn't my priority like a few months ago." I waved my hand over the books I had on the table. "Right now, I want to read those books."

He simply nodded his head and taking one of the books and flipping through the pages before placing it back. I would every few seconds give him a look before returning to my book.

The silence returned and I honestly had no idea of what to do or how to react. This whole situation gave me some heavy Death Note vibes, like if I were to do a wrong move, it would be game over for me.

"You know, your grandpa and me used to be really good friends." Alfred began as he had a distant look on him. Like he was remembering old times. "I was actually the only person who wanted to travel with him, while other people ... weren't quiet fond of him leaving the island."

I have no idea where this is going.

"You see, your grandpa actually died a few months before you were born and I can assure you that that was his biggest regret."

"I don't think anyone appreciates dying." I think it should have been better for me to keep quiet, but I just had to speak.

"He didn't regret dying. He was a man who never regretted anything he has ever done. In fact, he took great pride in his actions. No, what he regrets the most is not having the chance to meet his true descendant."

As much as there was this uneasy feeling, my curiosity was much bigger. "What do you mean by "true descendant"?"

I know I might regret asking that question, but I there was no way I wouldn't take this chance in at least uncovering something about him.

Alfred looked at the entrance of the library before walking towards one of the bookcases. "Vince, I made a promise to your grandpa that I will hide anything about him from you till your 12th birthday and would only reveal his secrets to him if you showed some signs he hoped you would possess. You certainly lived up to his expectations."

He grabbed the edge of one of the smaller bookcases and moved it rather easily for a man of his age to the side, revealing a dusty old door which could be barely made out.

"And as such, i'm hereby allowed to give you the answers you were looking for." opening the old door with minimal effort, he stood by the door like a pro butler and directed his hand towards the door. "After you, Master Vince."

As much as I trusted Alfred, there was still that doubt that if I went inside, something bad will happen to me. I know I might appear like a coward for not only being unsure about this situation but also for not wanting to leave Gotham, but you also have to understand my situation.

Unlike most isekai protagonists, I was just a normal human being in a world where other humans were basically monsters and the best way to survive was to either become one of those monsters or join them. And I was pretty sure that the first option was out of the way, thus leaving me with the second one. Which, I might add was also not a 100% guarantee it would work.

"I know this might seem a little suspicious to you, but you know very well you can trust me." as if he could read my thoughts, Alfred answered with that fatherly smile.

And he was right. Unlike any person in this world, including people on this island, I was sure that Alfred would never betray me. He basically raised me when my parents didn't have a time, which was almost all the time. And i'm pretty sure he was the person I called "papa" when I was a child, which I might add was not intentional.

For the first time, I decided to ignore the uneasy feeling I had and simply stood up and walked to the door. I could see a set of stair leading bellow.

Looking at Alfred, he simply pointed inside. "No need to worry, I will be right behind you."

Nodding my head, I began to descend down the stairs, Alfred following behind.

It didn't take long before we reached the end of the stairs and I could say that we were rather deep underground, if the amount of stairs is any indication.

We arrived at a pretty big metal door. On said door were quiet a few different locks and on the middle of it was a stylized letter A. Maybe goth style.

"This is the place were you will get all your answers." said Alfred as he took the keys of what I assume were for the locks and began to unlock them.

Well, I won't get the answers for all my answers, but only regarding my grandpa. But, that was not something Alfred should know.

He finished with the unlocking in maybe around 5 minutes before he opened the doors, which I might say looked more like the entrance of a God damn safe, revealing a dark room.

"Master Vince, welcome to the study room of your grandpa. The place where are secrets are bough to light."

The last part sounded just like Alfred wanted to be dramatic as he turned on the lights in the room.

The room in question looked as if it belonged to a person who put a lot of effort in his work. There were at least dozen of bookcases on the walls with all of them being full of books and what I assume were journals. There were a few papers full of different type of notes hanged on the walls and from the looks of it, they appeared to be quiet old.

On the left wall side there was a antique looking wooden desk which had a few files. There was also a small fireplace near the far right with two armchairs in front of it, acting like the perfect place to read.

I continued to look around the room as Alfred searched for something in the drawers of the desk. I looked at some of the notes that hanged from the walls. They were mostly about different type of inventions, details about some islands and ... Devil Fruits? Guess those notes had something to do with the thing Edward almost said.

The sound of paper hitting wood caught my attention as I turned to see Alfred putting some files on the desk before he turned to look at me.

"Before anything, I want to tell you a little about your grandpa and his past. So, please take a seat." he said pointing to the two chairs.

We soon took our places there and I have to admit, they were really comfy. And with that, Alfred began.

"Your grandpa was what you would call a man with many visions on how to improve our art of living. In his early years, he worked on many projects that would help not only the people of this island, but also the animals. That was how the came to replacing the Den Den Mushies with phones. However, as you might have not know, the people of this island aren't that much into change, or as your grandpa would say: "They didn't have any passion for the unknown of life". He barely managed to talk them into this small ... upgrade. As time passed, he decided to do something the people of this island weren't fond of, he decided to leave the island and explore the outside world. Of course, there were people who supported him and people who were against him. He didn't care about that as he simply build a boat and sailed away. Time passed and he would return to Gotham from time to time, each time sharing the things he found about other places. He then began to work on his many projects, but there was one that changed everything."

As he said that, he held up the file he had with him. I knew that this was the moment of truth.

"During one of his visits, he explained how during his travels he consumed a rather interesting Devil Fruit. He told how he began to experiment of that Devil Fruit. He wasn't interested in their origin, he was more interested in the potential of the Fruits. You should have seen his determination in trying to find the true potential of said Fruit. He was willing to perform experiments on himself just so he could get the result. And then it hit him. After observing many different Devil Fruits and their users, he simply decided to find the true potential of only his Fruit. He never explain the reason why he decided that."

Well, if the world is the same as cannon, I could think of a few dozen reasons.

"Anyway, he worked day and night on that project and a few months before he sadly passed away, he finally found out how he can attain the true potential. Sadly, he didn't have enough time, not to mention there were only two people he could trust with the project, namely me and Edward."

So that is what Edward almost let slip. The Devil Fruit project my grandpa was doing.

"However, then came the news about your mother being pregnant with you. That moment, he gained hope. As you might noticed, there are not many, if any people who want to leave Gotham and those same people tried to erase any evidence of your grandpa, seeing him as a "heretic". That includes your parents. They didn't want you to end up like him, so they tried to erase him from history of Gotham and act as he didn't exist. He knew that and that is why he decided to give me the following task: if you are even a little similar to him and also show the will to explore the outside world by the age of 12, I am to make you his next successor in his Devil Fruit Project. That is, if you accept."

I replayed the story a few times in my head, not expecting any of this. Sure, I had a feeling something was going on, but not like this.

But, after a moment of thinking, it should have been obvious. Gotham, no matter how much of a peaceful place it seemed to be, it was still a island of the One Piece world. Of course there was the possibility of having a dark secret, like maybe 99% of other island.

And it seemed that this was its secret: the people were strictly conservative, if Alfred's story was anything to go by. As much as I was cautious, unlike them I welcomed changes. In fact, there were moments where I found the life on Gotham rather dull.

Guess it seemed to be in the genes. Somewhat.

"I know this sounds like a big shock to you, but I need you to make a decision ..."

"I accept."

My swift answer really caught Alfred by surprise.

"You do? Just like that? I mean, i'm really happy you do, but may I ask is there a reason?"

"Alfred, I might not show it, but I really want to see the outside world. The only reason why I didn't do it because there was this fear. I looked at the bad stuff that could happen to be and I was really afraid of it." Not a lie, but he doesn't need to know that I know of all the dangers in the world. Also, I had a hunch about where this is going. "However, now I have a chance to actually see the world. And I don't want to let it pass. So, yeah, I accept."

As I said that, Alfred gained a smile on his face. He simply stood up and went to the center of the room. He moved one of the planks on the floor and took out a key.

So far, my hunch is right.

He appeared to open what I assume was some sort of safe hidden in the floor and took out the object I hoped was inside. And it seemed that my hunch was all right.

In a way.

The object he took out was, as I expected, a Devil Fruit. However, the strange thing about it how it looked. It had the shape of a simple apple and those swirly patterns on it, however there were some things that were no supposed to be on a fruit.

One half of the fruit looked like it was melting while the other looked like it was solid as a rock.

"What is that?" I couldn't help but ask. I think it was some sort of Devil Fruit, but none looked like that.

"This is the Devil Fruit your grandpa consumed. Duo to the effects of said experiments, it sadly changed some stuff about the Fruit, like how it looked. I assure you, it has no harmful effects. Well, except the usual Devil Fruit weaknesses."

I stared at the fruit for a few seconds before asking the important question. "So, what does it do?"

And with that Alfred began to explain on the Devil Fruit and its uses.

Or, at least it seemed so as something strange was starting to happen.

I could see that Alfred was talking, but all that I heard is some sort of static. The same sort of static you hear when your TV is broken.

And now not only couldn't I hear him, but also my vision was slowly ... glitching.

I could see Alfred as he talked, but every second my vision, like a bad video signal, would glitch. And it was getting more bad as time passed.

I had no idea what was going on and I was pretty sure that for a split second, I lost all feeling in my body.

It was like somebody was messing with my senses. It was like my subconsciousness knew where I was, but my consciousness didn't know.

However, something even stranger started to happen.

The image of Alfred standing in the room and explaining was like glass shattered as a new image replaced it.

It was a image of rocky fields stretching into the horizon as I could see the Sun slowly rising behind the rocky fields. Scattered around the fields were crystals which were erupting from the ground and reflecting the soft rays of the Sun.

I would have the image before me beautiful if it weren't for one thing.

A single figure standing far away from me, but not far enough so I couldn't see its features.

The figure had a human shape as it practically bathed in the soft rays of the Sun. Its arms were stretched to the side, its back facing the Sun and its head looking at the ground. The, the figure raised its head and it looked it my direction.

No, it looked directly at me.

I couldn't make out anything about said figure except one thing.

The red jewel in the middle of its forehead.

It just stared at me almost menacingly, but it didn't move one it. It just stood there.

And let me tell you, if you were in my shoes, you would also be afraid.

I tried to move my body, tried to look away in any other way except at the figure.

Nothing.

It was almost as I lost control of my own body.

The more I looked at the figure the more I began to notice something about it.

I was not sure what made me think that, but the figure almost looked like ...

"Master Vince? Are you alright? Do you hear me?"

I couldn't think any further as the image literally shattered like glass in front of me and I was again in the study room with Alfred shaking my shoulder as he had a worried look on his face.

"What? Did you say something?" I said in a confused tone as I began to somehow realize what happened.

"You spaced out for a moment as I talked about the Devil Fruit. Are you alright?" he asked me with a concerned tone.

"I think I am." was my answer as I held my head. It was almost as I had a small headache. No, it was almost as some sort of voice was telling me something in the back of my head.

"I see. Then, are you still willing to become your grandpa's successor, consume the Devil Fruit he worked on and finish his experiment?"

I was pretty sure I would have answered yes either way, but I didn't expect that my body would act on its own as it simply grabbed the Devil Fruit and took a single bite.

Then, my world turned red.

- Unknown -

You ever wondered how Steven Strange felt when he experienced that whole "mind out of your body and zooming across the multi-verse" in the movie?

Well, you could say I experienced something similar to that.

One moment I took a bite from the Devil Fruit and the next moment my world was turned red. Not even a second later, I felt myself being slammed into what I assume was a different body.

Looking around, I noticed I was in some sort of fancy hallways which stretched straight in front of me. On the right side were portrait pictures lined up in a straight line and on the left side were windows, placed contrary to them were windows through which the soft moonlight was shining on the pictures.

I looked down at myself and noticed some drastic changes. I didn't look like a kid anymore as my body looked like it belonged more to a teen or maybe young adult. I was also dressed rather fancy.

I had a simple white dress shirt with a gray waistcoat over it and a black tie to boot. On the lower half I had light black dress pants with fancy dark boots.

Overall, I looked like I was prepared for a fancy meeting.

Moving to one of the windows, I looked at my reflection. I had slightly long black hair with some bangs falling between my eyes, which were simple brown. My skin was pale as if I didn't see the Sun for days.

As much as I looked similar to what I imagined I would look like an adult, this body just felt more ... right than the one I had. It just felt more natural.

Looking outside of the window, it gave a clear hint that there was no way I was in the One Piece world. There was no way any island looked from a higher point of view like Tokyo at night, which was stretching endlessly in the horizon. Seriously, all I could see were building and the lights they produced, no matter where I looked or through which window I looked.

I continued to look at the view for a few more seconds before turning to the way I came from, and was meet with a dead end. Looking at the other way, I noticed that I could see a door at the end of the rather long hallway.

As much as this seemed like a scene from a horror movie or game, I had this feeling ... No, I knew for a fact that this was harmless.

Not thinking anymore, I pushed all those tiny little voices out of my head and moved towards the door at a steady pace. I was in no big hurry and took time in looking at the portraits, with each portray holding a picture of one of the more known fictional villains.

It didn't matter if they were from a game, movie, show, manga, cartoon. As long as a person could recognize them, they were here.

As I looked through all the pictures, I came across the door at the end of the hallway. They were rather fancy and looked like they lead to a fancy dinning room you find in high class restaurants.

I didn't waste time as I opened them and walked into the room, which actually looked like restaurant. There were multiple tables neatly placed around the area with a single bar filled with different drink being on my left side. Looking around, I noticed that the walls were actually mirrors from which I could see the city bellow.

Overall, it looked like a restaurant placed on top of Kyoto Tower.

I walked a little inside, looking at the surrounding area, trying to find any clue of where I am or better, why I was here.

Next thing I know, I was sitting in a rather comfortable a armchair with a table full of delicious looking desserts spread on it.

I think I might have started to drool. They really looked delicious.

"I take it you are a fellow sweat lover?" came a smooth male voice as I finally noticed the person sitting across of me.

He was a young man, easily in his early twenties. He was dressed in a similar outfit as me, except his was all black. He had long black hair which reached his mid back and blood red eyes as they darted across the table, looking at the next threat he would eat.

"No need to be shy. Dig in, there is enough for both of us." the man said as more desserts started to appear.

"Uh, thanks." I thanked in a unsure voice at the niceness the man was showing, taking a bowl of stracciatella ice cream and digging in.

We ate our treats in silence for a few minutes. After I finished with my ice cream and he finished with his 3rd cake, he whipped his hands and started talking.

"Well, I take it I gave a good first impression. A nice meal before we begin with the serious stuff." the man said as he snapped his fingers and we were suddenly in front of the window wall, looking outside while still in the armchairs.

"I know you are probably confused on where or why you are here, but I promise you I will explain everything to you. But first, I think introductions are in order." he extended his hand for a handshake, which I accepted. "You may call me The Son."

I was somewhat confused at the name, but it is only cultured to reply. Before I could even talk, The Son raised his hand, stopping me.

"No need to give me your name, I already know it. In fact, you could say I am the reason you aren't in the Afterlife."

That piece of information honestly shocked me. And by the amused smirk The Son had, it seemed it was his intention.

It took me a moment for the voice to return in my throat as I asked him the important questions.

"You ... You mean to tell me that you are the reason I was reincarnated?" It was a lot harder for me to ask him that question. It was honestly a big shock for me as I finally found out the person or deity who started this all.

"Yes I am. And I have very good reason why I did that, so I will explain it to you right now." he then snapped his fingers. "Don't take this personal. Its just, every time I explain this, I get bombarded with question and makes my job harder."

I was about to ask him what he meant when I felt I couldn't move my lips. The Son made a mirror appear in front of me as I could see that he literally turned my mouth into a zipper and zipped it close. I tried to open it, but not success. After a few moments I just gave up and decided to lean back and listen to him.

"I know you aren't a fan of complex stuff, so I will keep this easy to understand. Just listen." He coughed a few times to get his voice right, before he started.

"When a person from your world, or Core World, dies in any way, there are three places they could end up in the Afterlife. One is Hell, where they are placed for really long or even eternal punishment. Then we have Purgatory which isn't as hard as Hell, but it mostly serves as a place where people can be "cleaned" before they are sent into the last destination. The last destination is Heaven, where the person spends the eternity in peace. All those three are different based on a person, so it is impossible to compare them."

"Each of those places is controlled by, as we call them, The Big Three. Heaven is controlled by Creation, or as you call him God. Hell is controlled by Destruction, as better known as Amara. And Purgatory is controlled by the Empty. Those three are the Top Beings, the ones responsible for creating the Core World and the Multi Verse, but we will get to that in a second."

"Now, there are many other Deity's that serve the Big Three, each one representing a specific things like Time, Space, Death, Life, Emotions etc. Now, there are two who are above the other Deity's and just bellow the Big Three. They represent Good and Evil, but are not good and evil. Do you understand till now?"

I simply answered with a nod of my head, making The Son smile.

"Now, why you are here has a pretty good reason. You see, we Deity's are allowed to choose a person from the Afterlife and make them our Champions. You see, you were actually in the waiting line for Purgatory. Standard stuff, nothing to mayor that would make you a candidate for Hell. And after looking through your life and all your thoughts, I was actually happy that I found the perfect candidate for my next Champion, that being you"

"Now, you might be wondering: what is a Champion? Well, a Champion is basically some sort of employee for a Deity. Each Deity is allowed to have only one Champion and said Champion is allowed to accept or decline the job. We are also allowed to give them a test run on one of the world they would be sent."

"Next we have the worlds. You see, it all starts with the Core World, or better known as Earth. And from there, all other worlds are crafted by their creator, like how George Lucas with the Star Wars universe, while the Big Three made them into actual worlds. Of course, we Deity's gave them a small inspiration boost. Now, as you might have noticed or figured out, each fictional world like DC, Marvel, Mortal Kombat, One Piece and so on and so fort is real and Champions are allowed to enter them be it by their own free will or be sent there by the Deity they work under. Basically, imagine the Core World is the starting point and each fictional universe is just a new level you can explore and repeat. Now, with that all being explained, do you have any questions?"

I thought about all he said and repeated it all in my head a few times, trying to see if I missed anything.

And since I couldn't talk, I simply raised three fingers.

"Three questions? Alright, lets hear them out." he again snapped his fingers as the zipper was replaced with my mouth.

"First, you said you were a Deity. Which one? Second, what are the benefits and drawbacks of being a Champion? And third, why did you choose me as your next Champion?

The Son seemed to be in thought about the questions, most likely thinking on how to answer them. There was no way he wouldn't have answers for such simple questions.

"For the first question, you remember how I told you how there are different Deity's?"

I simply nodded at the question.

"Well, guess it would be best if I were to give you my full identity. I am simply known as The Son, the Deity of Evil."

I should have expected something like that. The way how he introduced the Deity's of Good and Evil, how he gave out those bad guy vibes, not to mention the portrays in the hallway.

However, if he didn't seem like he was truly evil. He did say that they only represent Good and Evil, but aren't the stuff they represent.

"As you might have figured out, i'm not exactly a bad guy like people make out Satan to be. I'm more of a combination of Crowley, Gabriel and Lucifer from Supernatural if you will."

I did like Gabriel. He was a trickster, which is always a plus in my book about fictional characters.

"I just want to say: while I am the Deity that represents Evil, in no way am I full Chaotic Evil. Well, i'm only Chaotic Evil when i'm in a really bad mood. I'm more of between Neutral Evil or Chaotic Neutral."

"Alright, you made your point with the comparison with Supernatural characters. Can I get the other answers?" Even if he wasn't a bad guy, he was still a Deity. It was for the best I showed him the respect he needs.

"Of course. I think it would be the best if I answered the third one first. You see, my job mainly consists of creating antagonists for each world, so there would be a balance of Good and Evil in it. I did that job a really long time, not to mention making sure that the Core World also gained its fair share of my overlooking. Now, the reason why I choose you is rather simple and somewhat cliche: you have what it takes to be a great antagonist."

I simply raised a eyebrow, deciding it would be best not to ask many questions.

"You are one of the persons who, in almost all types of fiction, prefers the villain or in some rare cases, the Anti Hero. In Star Wars, you favorites were the Sith, with the sole exception being Obi Wan, which is understandable. In Bleach, your favorite was Aizen. What i'm trying to say, you always prefer the characters that aren't goody two shoes, your typical heroes or even Marie Sues. You always cheered for the person that opposed the hero of the story, with a few exceptions here and there. And it was not just "they are cool" or "they are edgy so I understand their pain". No, you actually looked at their reasons why they are doing it and could say "yup, their goal makes more sense that the villains" or "they deserve to win this because they actually worked for it" and many more reasons. That is something i'm looking for my Champion. He needs to be pragmatic and not act like a Monster of the Week. He needs to actually think of his actions and what his goal is."

"Now, i'm not saying you will be a villain in each world. You can for all I care be a anti-villain or a anti-hero, whichever you think would be the best for world. Basically, you can be any type of antagonist you want in the world you currently are. And for your second question, well the benefits are your soul will basically be immortal till you quit or I fire you, you will be able to enter fictional world you always dreamed of visiting as different versions of your Core/True self which is the form you are right now, you will be gained a special Privilege that will help you in your job and ... that is it. Of course, there are the usual stuff like changing the plot lines of the worlds with your actions, but that is a given. Now, for the drawbacks: you can only move to another world after you die in the current one or I personally send you, there is a small chance you will meet the Champion of the Deity of Good and will have to beat or kill them, there is also the fact that each your action will have a different reaction from the people and you can't control how they act. Other than that, that would be it. So, do you accept the job or not?"

I was quiet for a few moments, thinking over everything he said. I needed to be sure, just in case.

"Just to see if I understood everything: I died and got choose by what is essentially the God of Evil a.k.a. you, who isn't actually evil but more on the Neutral Evil or Chaotic Neutral side. And now I will be sent to worlds that I thought were fiction so I can be the antagonist to the heroes of said world, where I will be basically a alternative version of myself just changed so I can fit to the rules of said world. Did I get everything right?"

"Not to mention the fact that you are allowed to do anything you want as long as your goals aren't the same as the heroes. And I will have to remove your memory of your death, reincarnation, meeting me and all that stuff in some world, but there won't be any lasting effects."

"So, basically my life will be a combination of Self Insert and OC fanfictions. And for all you care I can be Doctor Doom or Darkseid to my enemies and Misha Collins in my private life?"

The Son simply nodded his head. "Pretty much."

At that answer I simply extended my arm for a handshake. "You just got yourself a deal, boss."

We exchanged the handshake, marking the deal.

"Now that you know all this, do you have more confidence in what you plan on doing in the future?"

"I think I have some plans. I just need to figure out which what my Devil Fruit is. Not to mention those memory problems."

The Son waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "That with the memory is a rather normal problem each Champion has. It will begin to return after a while. Of course, you have bigger problems to deal rather than your memory."

I thought about what he meant, before it came to my mind.

"You mean the whole situation with Gotham and my grandpa?"

"Bingo. Truth be told, I am the reason Gotham exists in the One Piece world. Of course, I couldn't control the people and since there are different circumstances in their life's, they ..."

"They never experienced the stuff that turned them into villains. Let me guess: a version of the Butterfly effect?"

The Son nodded his head, as f he accepted my answer. "Very good. And you are right about the Butterfly effect. They were in their prime the moment you were born and time and free will started to do their stuff. From the looks of it, you will need to work on getting allies on that island."

"And the whole mystery about my grandpa is because ...?"

"Because I also wanted to see how you deal with both being a antagonist and trying to do another thing on the side."

I wanted to ask him a few more thing, before my vision started to get blurry.

"Seems like you are about to return to the One Piece world. Well, it was nice meeting you and good luck. Make sure to show those pirates just what kind of a bad guy you can be. Also, don't forget to have fun, Misha style."

At that being said, my vision turned completely black.

- Back at Gotham -

After a few seconds, it was like I opened my eyes and could see I was lying in bed in my room. Looking around, I noticed it was night time and I was completely alone in the room.

Guess this is my life for now on.

The meeting with The Son gave me the confidence I needed to do the plans. And it felt really good.

Many thought ran through my mind now, but I knew exactly what my goals are.

Find out about my grandpa, finish his Devil Fruit Project and become the type of antagonist that will actually success in his job and not fail because of stupid Plot Armor.

Get ready world, you are about to meet a new type of bad.

- 4 years later (2 years before canon), Unknown Island on the Grand Line -

You know, ever since that fateful meeting with The Son, I can say with full of pride that I made some serious progress as a antagonist.

Not only was I able to learn what my Devil Fruit is and make advances in grandpa's project. Not only that, but I managed to create my own way of fighting.

I wasn't a guy who goes head to head with his opponents, I preferred to do keep my distance. If this were League of Legends, I would be a combination of Mage and Assassin.

I think. No idea how much has changed since I bit the dust.

Anyway, right now I was following another lead on my project, but sadly I was meet with resistance with a small group of pirates who "claimed this island as their territory".

Luckily, there were no big shots and I had a pretty broken Devil Fruit (well, the way I used it was broken), so I could deal with them in no time.

Hell, even the "boss" of this group was a joke. Well, he was even a joke in canon, but I didn't expect him to be this much of a joke.

Maybe it had something to do that he was still a 12 year old and I was 16. Could this be considered as bullying?

Nah, he attacked me first and I just defended myself.

By literally creating razors blades in veins in places that would fatally injure him, but not kill him.

Right now I was standing above the brat, watching as he tried desperately to stop the bleeding. You know, if he wasn't much of an ass and his captain wasn't a even bigger ass, I would have put him out of his misery.

But, I just didn't see a reason why I should give damn.

Also his blood, even if it comes from two species, didn't have any value to me, so there was no reason for me to do anything.

Looking around the place, I noticed that the creature I came for has disappeared. Probably ran away after I started my slaughter.

"I travel half the world in hopes of making advances on my project and the creature I was searching for has disappeared because some idiots couldn't just let me be." There was no denying that I groaned like a child as I looked at the still struggling half Fishman at my feet.

"You know, I would have left you as you are right now, giving you a small chance of surviving. But, you made my job much harder." I clenched my fists as the flesh between my knuckles began to expand like a bubble before it stopped at the size of a marble. Ripping the flesh marble from my hand, leaving no lasting injuries on me and making sure the marble was as it should be. "Also, your captain is a real dick, so don't take this personal."

Smashing the marble just next to his flesh, I see the purple smoke slowly leaving it and attaching it to the soon dead boy. I quickly moved away from the body as it began to bubble like it was being boiled, before some parts of the flesh began to actually melt.

After a few seconds, I could only see the bones of some parts of his limbs. He tried to scream, ask for help, anything. But, he just couldn't.

I know I might look like a huge dick for killing a 12 year old, but said kid was part of a crew that made my plans much harder. Not to mention I wanted to show his Captain that he isn't the top dog anymore in the Underworld.

Like how Trevor Slattery from Iron Man 3 once said: "You know who I am. You don't know where I am. And you'll never see me coming."

I'm really thankful for the MCU. Their villains sure gave me a lot of ideas on how to work.

Seeing the now dead skeleton, I decided it is the best for me to leave this place and search for the next animal on the list. As I walked to the port, I looked at my watch seeing that 4 minutes passed since I dropped the marble.

The virus grew faster, but not fast enough.

Damn it, it seems like I would really need to ask Queen for advice.

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On the good side, I would (hopefully) see Ulti again.

And there you have it people, the new chapter and officially my longest so far with around 9000 words.

The circumstances of his reveal are finally revealed and all that lore with The Son, the Big Three, the Deity's and all that will be expanded in both this story and other ones, but on smaller levels.. I will also write a small summary on my profile about it all, so people can start with any story and not end up confused. Some stories will be like this, a Self Insert, while others will be with an OC.

Each character will be different, with the only thing the have in common being at they will never be a full good guy. The nearest to that will be a Anti-Hero (True Neutral or Chaotic Neutral).

We are now moved to 2 years before Luffy starts his journey. I will use that to show him growing into a antagonist and forming alliances and the changes that happened. We are already meet with an change at the end.

For people asking how strong Vince is, well he is a glass cannon. He can deal a lot of damage, but he can't take much hits. Of course, he still has a lot to learn on how to use his Devil Fruit. Also, his Devil Fruit is perfect for him, which will be shown in later chapters. Also, if you start to accuse him of being an Mary Sue, then it would be better to wait a few chapters before you start with that.

Vince will also receive a growth as a real person, not just as an antagonist. That will also be shown as time passes and in flashbacks from the last 2 year time skip.

I will also start working on the next story. Currently i'm thinking of maybe some less used one, like Teen Titans. I was planning on using other cartoons from childhoods, but I will need to re-watch them. Right now I only have re-watched the mentioned Teen Titans and W.I.T.C.H. (don't judge me). So, I will make a poll in the future when I have the final candidates.

And lastly, duo to me returning to school next week, i'm not sure how that will affect my writing schedule so I can't promise what will next be updated or published.

Like always, leave your comments, follow and favor this story.

See ya all next time. Peace out